Need help in making a quadcopter autonomous

Dear members,

We are a team of 10 undergraduate students currently working on a project focused on developing an autonomous flying quadcopter that operates without GPS.

For this project, we have procured the following components:

  • Pixhawk 6X flight controller
  • 1000KV BLDC motors
  • SimonK 30A ESCs
  • A standard quadcopter frame
  • 10×4.5 propellers
  • Raspberry Pi
  • 6000mAh 3S 30C Orange LiPo battery

We understand that in the absence of GPS, local positioning is essential for autonomous navigation. However, we are currently uncertain about the most suitable component or system to implement reliable local positioning.

We kindly seek your expert recommendation on:

  1. A suitable local positioning system compatible with our setup.
  2. Any necessary improvements or replacements in our existing hardware (motors, ESCs, propellers, battery, etc.) to ensure safe and stable autonomous flight.

Your valuable guidance will help us take a crucial step forward in making this project a success. We deeply appreciate your time and support.